How many cabs do you really need?

LVC

LVC

Fractal Fanatic
I know that having a ton of IRs is fun, especially when you mix etc or record direct .. but seriously... how many cabs do you really need and use?

I for one (pre-Axe), ended up with two cabs I used 90 % of the time over the last 15 or so years of gigging. Although I have had many heads/amps (at any given point I might have 6-10 heads -- don't ask why) I always ended up the same cabs regardless of amp.

I had a Mesa thiele cab with an original OEM EV that I absolutely loved and beat to the ground. This was my go to cab regardless of head. Unfortunately the cab met its demise when my basement flooded, but luckily I was able to salvage the speaker (still have it).

Which brings me to the Axe. When I was running FRFR, again I seemed to favor one speaker combination that I pretty much used with most of the amps in the Axe, and now I am using the NL12 cab which has become my go to speaker for everything with Axe related. I actually plan using them as extension cabs with tube amp in some upcoming gigs.

So what say you ...

many cabs or just a couple that do the job no matter what you throw at them
 
Kind of the same with the Amp heads, I have a Matamp 2x12 with G12K100 and removeable panels on the rear, its 100 w @ 4 ohm so it has all the power handling I ever needed and sounded great with all my amps, in particular my Matchless Indy head. I'm still new to the Axe and even newer to FRFR but I've found myself gravitating towards the classic Basketweave 4x12's, albeit blending different mic IR's so I guess theres some familiarity training gone on there with my ears through the years of listening to classic rock.
Having said that I haven't yet really been happy with the live sound I get from the axe in any configuration so it could all change fairly rapidly!
 
(at any given point I might have 6-10 heads -- don't ask why) I always ended up the same cabs regardless of amp
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"How many heads do you really need" when they say the cab is most of the sound?
Your experience seems to prove that :)

I guess you can get used to a cab.
I also like the point that's often made that you will sound more consequent / coming from "one place", and that the sound is easier to deal with.

I want it all and be able to pick what interests me most to play through at that time.
If I start craving punch, I willl get an NL12 or something :)
And you are not helping that... ;) I do crave it.

The weird thing is that I can't come near through my old 1x12 Boogie cabs with the Axe/Matrix.
With the GSP-2101 compressor in a certain setting and a Marshall 8008, I could get *unbelievable* and musical popping/slapping notes, skank, etc. It was a funky paradise.
I'll give that one more try with same guitar and cabs and some more compressor study one day.
If I don't get near... ---> NL12 maybe :)
 
vAmp said:
"How many heads do you really need" when they say the cab is most of the sound?
Your experience seems to prove that :)
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I think I am going to pick up another mesa thiele cab (needs to have lots of road rash :mrgreen ) and loaded it up with the old EV speaker I have .... I bet the Axe will sound killer through one of those.
 
If cartage were not an issue, I would love to gig with a closed back 4x12, closed back 2x12, open backed 2x12, open backed 1x12.

For me personally I lug around 1 cab. Either an open backed or closed backed 2x12 depending on what's up.
 
barhrecords said:
If cartage were not an issue, I would love to gig with a closed back 4x12, closed back 2x12, open backed 2x12, open backed 1x12.

For me personally I lug around 1 cab. Either an open backed or closed backed 2x12 depending on what's up.
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Yep

for me it was the 1x12 Mesa thiele or a dumble style 2x12
 
I keep coming back to the same 2 or 3: the 1x2 EV Factory 8, the 2x12 Class-A Blue Mix Factory 93, and when I do use a 4x12 (never really been a fan of closed-back 4x12s) the EV12 Mixes Factory 105 and 106. These do it for me.
 
Its not really about how many do you "need" (for me anyway). I think its about how many do you want (which is a personal choice).

I am not sure I could quantify that - or that I would ever occur to me to even ask myself that question - but I sure like the variable cab options that FAS has placed in our sonic toolbox to use with an FRFR solution. Now ... add Cab Lab to that ... wow! :)
 
barhrecords said:
..... sneaking gear past my wife into the equipment room :)
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Can't do that any more especially when my son who is a pretty good musician comes home from college on the weekends and the first thing he does is look in my office.

"Dad ... that is a new guitar? ... can I play it? "

Of course my wife takes that as her cue to go into my office and retake the inventory of my gear.
facepalm.gif
 
LVC said:
I think I am going to pick up another mesa thiele cab (needs to have lots of road rash :mrgreen ) and loaded it up with the old EV speaker I have .... I bet the Axe will sound killer through one of those.
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I have this.
I wanted to love it, but thought it was just ok.
Went back to FRFR.
I'm a high gain player though.
 
BBN said:
I have this.
I wanted to love it, but thought it was just ok.
Went back to FRFR.
I'm a high gain player though.
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I don't play high gain at all -- (R&B/soul/smooth jazz/oldies/classic rock)

The Mesa thiele with a well broken in EV is just wonderful for the style of music I play out and at home.
 
Less equipment more time for playing. Even though i love having cabs, amps, pedals, guitars...
Problem of being a musician my generation is...u cant just play, u need to know about all as much as possible.
Software, recording, arranging, producing....its all too much.

So lets keep the at least the cab and ir number down :)
 
Semih Yanyali said:
Less equipment more time for playing. Even though i love having cabs, amps, pedals, guitars...
Problem of being a musician my generation is...u cant just play, u need to know about all as much as possible.
Software, recording, arranging, producing....its all too much.

So lets keep the at least the cab and ir number down :)
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Uh oh. You may find that ithe cab and IR options are what will simplify your journey to tonal nirvana! :)
 
Sometimes yes, most times too many options makes u (me) tweek more than needed. I am not trying to compose the best guitar tone, but better music :)

Saying this..i bought all the IRs of redwires, OH or fractal and lots of software and hardware for my studo...still.

smcrosby said:
Uh oh. You may find that ithe cab and IR options are what will simplify your journey to tonal nirvana! :)
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LVC said:
I don't play high gain at all -- (R&B/soul/smooth jazz/oldies/classic rock)
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That ofcourse means that the cab is not shaping your tone as much. If we talk about metal type of high gain it's easier to change tone simply by changing the cab while different amps might sound pretty similar when driven with a tubescreamer.
 
Clark Kent said:
That ofcourse means that the cab is not shaping your tone as much. .
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That is actually a very interesting observation and I think it is spot on in my case.

When I think about it and look at my cab choices over the years -- without really thinking about it, I was always looking for cabs/speakers that did not color or just minimally colored the tone of my amp, guitars etc.

I wanted my gear to generate the tone and the cab to amplify/enhance it with minimal colorization.

This is probably why I always migrated toward EV type of speakers and d-style type of cabs.
 
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